Our guide to choosing a shaving brush

A hair shaving brush is a small brush used to apply a lather from a shaving soap before a shave. The use of a shaving brush helps to evenly spread the soap. Since the bristles in the brush can retain moisture, it helps in lather formation too.

The shaving brush will help raise the facial hair which helps to provide a closer and more even shave. Spreading shaving foam with the hand causes the user to miss or flatten some facial hair resulting in an uneven shave and requiring many passes over the same area. Using the wet brush to agitate the hairs is the best way to get a good lather and make the process of hair shaving very easy and less painful.

The price of a shaving brush could vary from 5 US dollars to many hundreds of dollars depending on the quality of the bristles used. The bristles are fine strands that are fitted to a handle. These strands can be made from natural and synthetic materials. Some brushes contain bristles that are a blend of boar's hair and synthetic materials. The most expensive bristles are those made of a badger hair. Many claim these bristles are amongst the most luxurious of bristles because the badger hair is silky smooth giving the bristles a soft, elegant feel about them.

Bristles made of badger hair also come in many varieties. Pure badger brushes are made from the hair that grows on the underbelly of a badger. These hairs are usually dark or silvery in colour. They are also coarser than other types of badger hair. The best badger brushes are made up of hairs that occupy around 20-25% of the badger's body. These hairs are longer and smoother than those from the underbelly. There are typically more hairs in this type of brush which helps create more lather. Super badger brushes are made of hairs that have been processed to give them a good texture; they can be identified from their off-white tips too.

Sometimes boar hair is used as a cheaper alternative. This type of hair is coarser and does have a greater tendency to break. However, due to their water retaining abilities they do form an excellent lather.

Natural bristles are expensive because of the difficulty in acquiring the hairs. However, there are different combination mixes that are cheaper and still provide a very good solution. For example, some brushes combine horse hair with badger hair.

As previously mentioned, there are other bristles available made from synthetic materials. The main advantage of using these bristles is that they are not based on animal products. Vegan and Vega-nylon bristles are 2 such varieties which have been specifically developed for making bristles for a hair shaving brush.

Besides the bristles, sometimes the handle can be a significant contributing factor to the cost of the brush. Some of the more expensive shaving brushes have handles made from Russian birch or even tortoise shell. However, the more common materials typically used are urethane, nylon, plastic and other resins which all do at least have good durability.

For more advice on best shaving practices: Hair shave tips